A DİFFERENT PERSPECTİVE ON THE NARRATİON INDİCATİNG THE CALİPHATE LASTED 30 YEARS*

This study offers a different perspective on a narration attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), which states: “The caliphate in my community will last for thirty years. After that, there will be kings.” (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 48). Researchers who have studied this topic generally argue that this statement is not authentically from the Prophet. Instead, they suggest it was later fabricated within the context of political events—either to defend a certain party or to denounce another. Two primary approaches emerge in this regard: 1. To prove the legitimacy of Ali’s caliphate. 2. To demonstrate that Muawiyah was not a caliph but rather a monarch. Although we partially agree with some of the reasons given by those who argue that the narration is fabricated, we do not concur with their approach toward the groups alleged to have fabricated it. While the narration is often characterized as having a Shiite inclination, we disagree with this view based on the reasons outlined below. From a political perspective, when we examine the early period of the Umayyad dynasty in the context of such narrations, several critical observations arise. When Hasan handed over power to Muawiyah, he proposed that the future leader of the Islamic state should be chosen by the ummah. Moreover, when Muawiyah attempted to secure allegiance for Yazid from companions such as Husayn, Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn Abbas, and Abdullah ibn Zubayr, he did not use this narration as justification. Similarly, none of those companions responded with an argument like, “Even though we do not approve of your son Yazid, we cannot oppose the prophecy of the Prophet (pbuh).” This absence raises doubts about the narration’s authenticity and public awareness. If we accept the narration as authentic, then the efforts of companions and successors such as Husayn and Ibn Zubayr to reestablish the caliphate could be interpreted as attempts to defy the Prophet’s statement, which would be a problematic conclusion. In our opinion, this statement was likely fabricated in an attempt to legitimize the Umayyad monarchy initiated by Muawiyah and continued by his successors, using the authority of the Prophet (pbuh) as a shield. In this context, we believe that this saying—attributed to the Prophet—is not a genuine hadith and therefore holds no scholarly value.